1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to plastic price channels of the kind used, for example, with merchandise display shelves in retail outlets such as supermarkets, drug stores, or the like, to receive labels providing information relating to merchandise being displayed on the shelves. More specifically, this invention is directed to a label holder with a transparent window or cover member of the type shown in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,515,632 issued May 14, 1996, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference (the ""632 patent).
2. Description of the Related Art
In the ""632 patent, the transparent cover member of a plastic label holder is hingedly and resiliently secured to the bottom of a main body panel to form a pocket between them for reception of a paper label or the like. The cover member has a height such that its top edge is releasably engaged or xe2x80x9clockedxe2x80x9d behind a downwardly extending lip on the top of the main body panel. A forwardly extending channel-shaped formation is provided along the top edge of the cover, comprising an inner downwardly extending limb and an outer upwardly extending limb between which the top lip of the main body panel is received when the cover is xe2x80x9clockedxe2x80x9d in position. The outer limb forms a gripping element by which the top edge of the cover can be disengaged from behind the top lip by finger pressure exerted from above, downwardly and outwardly on the upper edge of the outer limb. The construction of the ""632 patent is inexpensive to manufacture and efficient in use. However, for certain applications it may be desirable to modify the structure to more effectively minimize the entry of dust and other extraneous matter into the label pocket, while retaining the ability to releasably xe2x80x9clockxe2x80x9d the cover member to the main body panel to preclude accidental loss of a label carried within the pocket.
A primary object of this invention is the incorporation of a dust-inhibiting cover on a locking label holder with a transparent window.
More specifically, it is an object of this invention to provide a xe2x80x9cdust coverxe2x80x9d over the top of the label pocket formed behind a transparent cover member in a plastic price channel of the type described above to preclude dust or the like from entering the pocket and damaging the labels and/or the label holder or obscuring the information displayed by the label through the transparent cover member.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide different xe2x80x9cdust coverxe2x80x9d embodiments, each of which retain the ability to xe2x80x9clockxe2x80x9d or secure the cover member to the main body panel while extending over the gap between the upper edges of each of these members to preclude or minimize the entry of foreign matter.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a dust cover overlying the gap at the top of the pocket in a xe2x80x9clockablexe2x80x9d label holder of the type seen in the ""632 patent, while retaining the ability of the label holder to open the pocket by finger pressure downwardly and outwardly on an element carried by the upper edges of the transparent cover member.
Other and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the ensuing description and claims taken in conjunction with the attached drawings.